Journey Through the Mist
by Dragon6
Summary: The second book in the 'Mizukage' series. Saito comes to Nami no Kuni in search of the famed Kiiroi Senkō no Bōrei. He learns that he is the same person who he's searching for is the guy who broke him out, Uzumaki Naruto. He begs Naruto for help in saving Kirigakure no Sato from the tyrant, Akira. Naruto agrees and ships out. What adventures await the young blond in Mizu no Kuni?
1. Prelude

**_Prelude_**

The man's eyes snapped open, bringing him face to face with a member of the ship's crew, who told him that they would be docking in Nami no Kuni in five minutes. He thanked the young sailor, whom immediate left to resume his duties. With a groan, Saito sat up from his sleeping mat, wiping the crust from his eyes. It had been a very tiring year for him, and he often found himself having trouble sleeping. After escaping the Kumo prison, he had parted ways with Yayoi and set off towards the nearest border. He managed to cross into Cha no Kuni, and had gotten work with the Wasabi family by keeping their books. He only stayed long enough to pay for a trip to Mizu no Kuni. He had hoped that the rebels had won Kirigakure's bloody civil war, and that the citizens were living together in unity and helping each other rebuild their battle-torn home, but he was sadly disappointed. The Kirigakure that he saw looked worse than ever before; he could practically feel and see the fear that hovered over the once proud village. Wondering just what had went wrong, he got in touch with one of his contacts from the old days and made plans to meet up later. They met secretly at an isolated area in the middle of the night, which only worsened his growing anxiety.

**_~Flashback~_**

Saito and the woman embraced each other for the first time in a long while, trying to make it last as long as they could. After she broke the hug and ushered him to a seat, she immediately went straight to business.

"It's been a while, my friend. When I learned of the prison break in Kumogakure, I prayed that you made it out safely."

"I'm just glad that I lived through it." Saito said with a smile, before he became serious. "Kaede, what is going on here? By the looks of things, Kirigakure's problems have only gotten worse. Where is Mei? Is she not the Mizukage?" Kaede said nothing at first, but her grief-stricken expression did nothing to ease the sinking feeling in his heart

"They're dead, Saito. Mei, Ao...everyone's dead." It was like he had fallen into a frozen river; he just couldn't believe what he heard. There was just no way that Kaede said was true!

Saito looked as if he were about to keel over, dead. "So… we lost, and Yagura is still in control..." he said, despondently.

"No!" exclaimed Kaede, softly, immediately snapping Saito out of his funk. "We were the victors. Mei won and she was able to end the reign of Yagura."

"But you just said…"

"We were betrayed, Saito." she interrupted. "Betrayed by one of our own." Saito's confusion gave way to rage.

"Who?! Who betrayed us?!" It took all of his self-restraint not to flip the table they were sitting at.

Kaede's face adopted a furious scowl, showing anger for the first time since their time apart. "It was Akira."

**_~Present~_**

Out on the deck, Saito watched as the ship docked into the harbor. He secured his things and followed everyone as they disembarked, all the while thinking about what he had learned from Kaede. He just couldn't believe that Akira was able to kill Mei. From what he witnessed in the past, Akira was hopelessly in love with Mei, yet he was nowhere near as powerful as the Terumi clan member was in terms of speed, skill, or strength. There just no way that Akira could have beaten her, at least not on his own. He had hoped that he get some more answers to this disturbing puzzle once he located his fellow resistance fighters. But once he found their camp after several months of searching, he was dismayed to see that so few of his comrades had survived Akira's betrayal. There was no way that they could reclaim their village from the traitor in their current state; it had seemed that all was lost for Kirigakure.

But a month later, he began to hear news of a powerful ninja that was making waves in the shinobi world. This person was rumored to always help those in need, and had already eliminated several bandit camps, slave rings, and criminal organizations. He was first noticed when the Gashira clan placed a very high bounty on his head. It was even more startling when Berugu doubled the bounty on the ninja the following day, all because of the nickname that the Gashiras gave him, the Kiiroi Senkō no Bōrei.

After hearing of the mysterious shinobi's exploits, he decided to try and seek him out. If he could get a ninja like him on their side, then the resistance would stand a better chance of reclaiming Kirigakure. He left Kiri straight away and made his way to Kaminari no Kuni, knowing that both Yayoi and Yugito were the last people to have actually been in contact with him. Securing a meeting with the two kunoichi wasn't that difficult, but when he brought up the Kiiroi Senkō no Bōrei up, he found it odd that Yayoi started to blush for some unknown reason. Yugito found the woman's reactions quite hilarious, much to Yayoi's displeasure. What was even stranger for the man was that when he'd pressed for information on the shinobi's whereabouts, the two refused to tell him anything. Instead, Yayoi handed him a small card and then pointed him in the direction of Nami on Kuni. He was a little put off by their secrecy, but considering just _who_ they were talking about, he could understand why they were taking such heavy precautions.

As he disembarked from the ship, he continued to think about the unknown ninja, and hoped that he would be willing to listen to his plight and help him in his quest. But unbeknownst to Saito, five robed figures within the throng of departing passengers kept their gaze locked on the old man's moving form.

**_XXXXX_**

**_Authors' Notes_**: Here we go, the second book of the revamped _Mizukage_. This story is called _Journey Through the Mist_. This will chronicle Naruto's quest to end the tyrant reign of Akira and his men. He will meet his known comrades and fight with them to bring Kirigakure back from the brink. My beta Toa Naruto is still with me on this and I can be more happy to have him on this with me. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter and the many more that is on the way for the next stage of the revamp.

**_Glossary_**

**_Kiiroi Senkō no Bōrei_** – Ghost of the Yellow Flash

**_Kaminari no Kuni_** – Land of Lightning

**_Nami on Kuni_** – Land of Waves

**_Kirigakure_** – Hidden Mist

**_Mizu no Kuni_** – Land of Water

**_Cha no Kuni_** – Land of Tea


	2. Chapter 1

**_Chapter 1_**

Saito stepped out of the hotel that he was staying at, admiring the night's star-filled sky. He pulled out the small card that Yugito gave him, which only had a name written across its surface. The man was somewhat discouraged with what little information was given, but figured that he should be grateful that Yayoi and Yugito were willing to tell him anything at all. Deciding to head to the market place first to see if anyone knew of this Tazuna person, he quickly made his toward the plaza. He had barely made it a foot away from the front entrance, when two figures leapt down onto the ground and began to follow him at a safe distance. They were soon joined by a cloaked individual with a Kirigakure forehead protector, who had been watching Saito from a window in the shop next to the hotel. The individual fell in line with the first two, and scoffed towards the retreating old man in front of them.

"So do we actually believe that this guy exists, sensei?" the figure with the Kirigakure headband asked, the voice indicating that he was male.

"Whether he is or not, we will take him out along with Saito." answered the tallest of the trio, his deep masculine voice booming with authority.

"Besides, if we actually kill this so-called '_Kiiroi Senkō no Bōrei'_, Iwa and Kumo will be in a bidding war for his head. We really can use the money anyways, considering all of the pay cuts that we're taking." added the final cloaked figure, the voice indicating that she was a kunoichi.

"I guess you're right, but I'm getting bored just waiting here on standby. I want to get this over and done with."

"Just be patient, Torike. We'll be seeing some action very soon." replied the sensei, as the trio passed by a large tree, where his two other subordinates finally rejoined the group.

**_XXX_**

Despite what Saito originally though, finding Tazuna wasn't all that hard. Just about every person that he asked knew the man. And when he asked where he could meet him, they all pointed him towards the same place, a bar. Now, as he stood in front of the drinking establishment's front entrance, Saito began to have second thoughts of the person whose name was on Yugito's card. But, he didn't come all this way just turn back at the last possible second. So with a deep breath, he walked through the doorway, and was relieved to see a normal looking bar. He looked around before he walked up to the bartender.

"Can I help you?" the middle-aged man asked.

"Yeah, I'm looking for Tazuna. I heard that he does business here." Saito said, figuring that he had nothing to lose by asking the man directly.

"His office is in the corner." answered the bartender, pointing to a door. Saito thanked the man and walked over to the office. He knocked on the door and entered when he heard a voice telling him to come in. The office was large in size, and had several small scrolls sitting in various bins and slots. A man sat at one of the two desks with a bottle of sake and a saucer in his hands.

"Hello there, my name is Tazuna, contractor extraordinaire. How can I help you?"

"Yes, I was referred to you by someone who thinks that you can help me." was all that Saito said.

"Do you have plans for something?"

"It isn't _that_ type of help Tazuna-san." Saito pulled out the card and showed it to him. The old bridge builder looked at it, a frown marring his normally calm face.

"That woman, I wish she wouldn't give out my name like that. It's just like that Nadeshiko situation all-over again." he muttered.

"So, can you help me?" Saito asked urgently.

"Yeah, yeah, I can get you in touch with him. Don't worry about finding him; he'll find you." Saito gave him a small bow and left the room. Once the door closed, Tazuna took another hearty sip of his drink and sighed. That brat was becoming too big of a pain; he was the super bridge builder, not some secretary.

**_XXX_**

It had been two days since he had talked to Tazuna, and Saito _still_ hadn't heard from the Kiiroi Senkō no Bōrei. He was starting to get impatient; he didn't have time to waste, his village needed immediate help. He was planning on visiting Tazuna one more time to arrange an actual meeting place, but as he got up to leave, he suddenly noticed that something different about his room. While he was not a highly skilled shinobi, he'd managed to survive the wars because he was always attune with this surroundings. But what was surprising to the veteran was that it had taken him so long to notice the disturbance. It wasn't a genjutsu, as he was extremely good at detecting those, and he would have noticed it a lot sooner. If he were to describe the situation, it was as if all the sound was taken out of the room.

"That's pretty good, I didn't think that you would have noticed it so soon." said a voice. Saito was quickly on the defensive, flipping out a kunai he kept hidden in his sleeve, and crouching down in preparation for a sneak attack. His eyes darted across the room until his eyes landed on a shadowy figure in the corner, partially hidden in the darkness of the room.

"Show yourself!" ordered Saito. The figure complied, and slowly stepped out of the darkness.

"Interesting stance you've got there. I would be hard pressed to…" the mysterious figure paused to get a good look at his supposed client. "Wait a minute, have we met before?" Saito was thrown off by the stranger's sudden change in tone. It was only until he got a good look at the man that he recognized the person, although he didn't lower his guard.

"You're Uzumaki Naruto, right?"

"Oh yeah, you're that old guy who was with Yayoi a year ago. How have you been?" asked Naruto with his usual tone.

"Wait a minute, wait a minute! Just what are you doing here?"

Naruto adopted a confused look. "Well, aren't you the guy that wanted to talk with me?" Saito's face took on a shocked expression.

"_You're_ the Kiiroi Senkō no Bōrei?!" Saito exclaimed disbelievingly.

Naruto just smiled sheepishly. "I knew that name would get me into trouble. Now I've got Konoha, Iwa, **_and_** Kumo looking for me."

"Hold on a moment, what exactly did you do to the room? It's like there's no sound in here."

"Oh, that? I've set up a sound-proof barrier just in case there were more of those guys around." explained Naruto. "I was informed about a five-man team of Kiri-nin that was looking into this room. I thought that you were setting me up for trap to get the reward on my head."

"Damn it, I thought I was careful."

"Don't sweat it, I've dealt with those flunkies already. One of those guys couldn't hold his liquor to save his life, and started talking about the reward they were going to collect after they killed me. To tell you the truth, I thought that this was a set up, but when Tazuna showed me the card, I knew that _she_ wouldn't send you here to kill me. How is Yugito these days?"

"She's well, and helping Yayoi with the fight for Kumogakure. But she's taken on a much more minor role, considering that _those_ people are after her." answered the old man. "I heard that you've actually helped them a couple of times as well."

"Only when I can." The two fell into a comfortable silence, before Naruto broke it, his voice dead serious. "So, Yugito sent you to find me? That means that something serious must have happened to you. Why don't you tell me the details over dinner at Tazuna's?"

**_XXX_**

After a delicious meal provided by Tsunami, Naruto and Saito excused themselves so that they could talk in private. The two of them went outside and stood on the docks so that Tazuna and his family wouldn't overhear them. Saito looked at Naruto, his happy charade replaced with a more serious one.

"I know that I am asking for a lot out of you, Naruto, but I could really use your help." explained Saito. "I couldn't ask Yayoi or Yugito because they're already busy with their own rebellion. That's why I went through all of this effort to seek you out."

"But I just don't see what I could possibly do to help you or your village." replied Naruto. "You're asking me to take down someone who managed to kill a Kage-level kunoichi, when I barely managed to kill one S-rank shinobi about a year ago. And on top of that, your army isn't prepared to start another civil war. Plus, I doubt that the resistance is just going to willingly allow a stranger to join their forces, even if you do vouch for me."

"I understand that, but I still could really use your strength and skills. The fact that Akira has already sent a team to eliminate you _and _me is proof that he fears what you can do to his reign. Please Naruto, Kirigakure needs your help."

Naruto remained silent for a moment, before speaking once again. "What about those with kekkei genkai? You said that Akira is using them. What exactly did you mean by that?"

"I'll explain it as best as I can. Terumī Mei was a powerful and kind woman who wanted to end the evil that the Yondaime Mizukage, Yagura, started. Even though she believed that Yagura was being controlled by an outside force, she was still willing to fight and overthrow him and his rule. She used her influence and kindness to unite those who wanted to end the senseless violence into one grand army. Everyone who had been affected by the bloodline purges rallied behind her to challenge Yagura and, through their efforts, finally overthrew the Yondaime." Saito's voice took on a more graver tone as he recalled what Kaede told him. "But somewhere along the way, Akira began to poison the minds of those who had kekkei genkai. I don't know what was said, but was convincing enough for him to gather quite a few followers. And then, when Mei killed Yagura, Akira made his move and killed her; his supporters soon followed suit and killed her allies. With Mei gone, he anointed himself as the Godaime Mizukage, but things in Kirigakure didn't change for the better. To this day, Akira uses those with kekkei genkai as his enforcers to instill fear and control amongst the populace. It's become too unbearable to watch one of the Five Great Hidden Villages gradually decays into poverty with each passing day."

Naruto said nothing, preferring to contemplate on what he had just learned. He sympathized with Saito, and was angered by Akira's atrocities; it heavily reminded him of when he saw Nami no Kuni on his first C-rank mission. The fact someone similar to Gatō was in charge of a large hidden village like Kirigakure made him sick to his stomach. But, he also knew that taking part in a huge debacle like this would only make himself a bigger target to his enemies. He already had two major shinobi villages hunting for his head, and one that was constantly watching him, and Naruto didn't want to give them any further incentive to take action against him. But, on the other hand, whilst he knew that interfering would be a mistake on his part in the long run, he also knew that he couldn't just stand by and allow Akira to continue. With a deep sigh, he turned his attention back to Saito.

"Alright then, let's go to Kirigakure. We're going to kill this pitiful excuse for a Kage, and get your village back." Saito was overjoyed and began to thank him profusely.

**_XXX_**

Naruto was busy packing his equipment within his home, which was actually the hideout that once belonged to Zabuza and Haku. He had found the place by mere chance, but it proved to be quite profitable for him as it was stocked with jutsu scrolls, weapons, and training manuals. He was just about to recheck everything that, when he suddenly heard someone enter through the front door.

"Naruto? Naruto, are you here?" Tsunami's voice called out.

"I'm in here!" Naruto responded. The woman followed to where she heard his voice and entered the training room. She smiled when she saw him packing.

"So, you're going to help him after all? I'm glad." she said.

"I can't just stand by and allow things to continue in Kirigakure, but I don't know if I can help them." explained Naruto. "I'm joining up with a bunch of downtrodden shinobi who are practically fighting against an entire hidden village. I just don't know what I'm going to do."

"Don't be so pessimistic, Naruto, I have complete faith in you. You just have this knack for making the impossible seem possible. That's why I keep telling you to take Yayoi's offer. Other than the fact that she obviously likes you, she's offering you a place in Kumo's forces."

"I know, but I'm happy with what I'm doing right now. I get to help those who are in need, and not be held back by stupid village rules or regulations." countered Naruto.

"Are you sure?" asked Tsunami. "I remember back when you were still a young boy, and your eyes were once filled with ambition. Are you telling me that's changed? I understand if you still feel a small sense of loyalty towards Konoha, even after everything they've done to you, but it shouldn't keep you from accomplishing what you truly want in life. You're destined for so much more that what you're doing right now, Naruto, and I'd hate to see so much potential go to waste." Naruto stopped packing, silently standing still as one his most frequent internal debates resurfaced once again. Whilst he did like his current life, he still dreamed of becoming Hokage from time to time. It was something that he had striven for ever since he was a child, and he'd be lying if he said he'd completely given up on his dream. He let out a tired sigh, making Tsunami feel sorry for the blond. It wasn't her intention to make him feel bad, but she just wanted him to live a happy and fulfilling life. She quickly decided to change the subject, remembering the other reason she had in coming to see the young man.

"Naruto, there is another reason as to why I'm glad that you're going to Kiri."

"Oh?"

"Did you ever find the man who stole that sword from Zabuza's grave?" Naruto's eyes narrowed with anger as he recalled that fateful day. He had just returned from helping Yayoi, when Inari ran up to him and told him that he saw someone walking away with the Kubikiribōchō, Zabuza's sword. The young boy told him where the culprit went and he immediately gave chase. Unfortunately, the man in question had boarded a ship to Tetsu no Kuni and was long gone before Naruto could catch up to him. Not one for giving up so easily, Naruto took the next boat to Tetsu no Kuni to confront the man, only to just miss him once again. Since that day, he kept his ear to the ground, in hopes that he could gleam any information about the thief and the stolen sword.

"No, I haven't, but I haven't stopped looking." said Naruto.

"I have a feeling that you may find him in Mizu no Kuni." replied Tsunami

"How can you be so sure?" Tsunami just smiled. What she said left the young blond speechless for quite some time.

**_XXX_**

Kirigakure no Sato, once a great and strong ninja village, feared for their many kekkei genkai, was no more. What was once a force to be reckoned with, was now nothing more but a pitiful shadow of its former self. As a result of countless years of civil war and in-fighting, the village had imploded on itself; everyone wanted to be in power and no one could be trusted, not even well-known friends or clansmen. And it all started through the actions of the Yondaime Mizukage, Enkai Yagura, jinchūriki of the Sanbi no Kyodaigame. His reign brought forth an age of fear and death, especially to those who wielded a kekkei genkai.

Appealing to the demands of the citizens and shinobi who actively despised those with special abilities, he created death squads to hunt and kill the so-called "_vile monsters_" with no remorse. Clans were wiped out, and newly dug graves were becoming the norm, just like in every cliché horror movie known throughout the world. Many attempted to hide, but they were eventually found and dealt with permanently, by either the death squad or their bigoted former comrades. But just when it seemed that all hope was lost, one ninja stood up to challenge the tyrant Mizukage and his appalling methods. Her name was Terumī Mei.

Wielder of the Yōton and Futton kekkei genkai, she rallied numerous supporters under her banner to oppose Yagura, from those with kekkei genkai of their own, to those who wanted a better life. She gained support from those outside and inside Yagura's circle until she had amassed a grand army, and launched a full-on assault on Yagura. The fight was a long and bloody one, but in the end, Mei's resistance prevailed over the Sanbi jinchūriki. Everyone was ecstatic and ready to welcome a new era for Kiri. But just as soon as it was coming, however, it was swiftly taken away, by a person from within Mei's own circle no less. That person, that betrayer, was Akira.

No one knew how he managed it, but Akira killed Mei when she least expected it, her death acting as the catalyst for the utter annihilation of her most loyal supporters at the hands of Akira's followers. Those who survived the coup were hunted down and slaughtered like animals. In the end, he became the Godaime Mizukage and brought a new wave of pain and suffering with his reign. And soon everyone was oppressed once again, but this time, both citizens and shinboi believed that Kirigakure would forever be cursed as village ruled by fear and bloodshed.

**_XXX_**

In the Mizukage tower, the sound of flesh being torn by steel could be heard from outside the office, the ignored screams and pleas of mercy frightening away those who passed by. After the Godaime and risen to power, it became a known fact that failure was met with death. Inside, four people watched as the five lifeless bodies hit the ground, their blood pooling underneath them. Out of the four still-living people, only one looked satisfied, whilst the other two looked unimpressed, and the last one was enraged. The furious one snapped his attention to the man that was leaned up against the wall with his arms folded, glaring at him with his one good eye.

The man being glared at was wearing a long sleeved, navy blue turtle-neck sweater and, navy blue baggy pants, with a standard Kiri jōnin flak jacket worn over the sweater. He had a pair of black leather gloves on his hands, and black sandals covering his feet. He wasn't wearing his hitai-ate, but strapped to his back was the sword of Momochi Zabuza, the Kubikiribōchō. Strangely enough, the man looked a lot like Zabuza, except his features were a lot softer and smaller than the deceased former Kiri-nin.

"So, Shin, could you please explain your failure?" demanded the angry man. Shin merely looked disinterestedly at the man wearing a formal kimono, and a blue cloth mask that covered his entire face. Despite it having two eye holes, he knew that the man behind the mask was half-blind.

"It's not my fault that they failed, Akira. Maybe if you actually paid your soldiers properly, they wouldn't do something so stupid for extra money." scoffed Shin, which only served to make the man even angrier.

"**_You_** are to blame for this failure because you yourself chose these men to hunt down Saito! Do not think that you are above everyone else under my command just because you carry the blade of your brother! I allowed you to live instead of killing you like the others, so you had better show me some damn gratitude by properly doing the job that you are given!" shouted Akira. Shin narrowed his eyes before he scoffed once again, and left the room without a single word. Akira clenched his fists at the blatant disrespect his subordinate displayed, wanting nothing more than to strike down the Momochi whilst his back was turned. He turned to other man, who was chuckling at the entire scene that played out before him. He wore a gray shirt and pants, similar to an invigilator's uniform, which was covered by a beige colored trench coat with short sleeves. He wore a Kumo hitai-ate around his forehead, and had a very angular face, complete with a cocky grin.

"Perhaps you should give this assignment to me, Akira. I promise to _permanently_ deal with this Saito and _Bōrei_ for you. That is, for a fee, of course." he said.

"You and your partner are an even bigger wastes of space than he is!" spat Akira. "The two of you can't even find one old man! Perhaps Akihiro was blowing smoke out of his ass when he said that you two were his best!" The man frowned at the criticism whilst the woman glared at the Mizukage. She was dark skinned beauty that had her hair tied up in a braid. She wore a standard battle dress, a Kumo flak jacket, and sandals that covered her entire lower legs. Completing her look was a ninjato strapped to her back, and her hitai-ate tied to her right arm.

"What did you think was going to happen?! Did you really expect that no one would react this badly when you told your village that you were planning on giving away something as important as the blades of the Kiri no Shinobigatana Shichinin Shū?" she spat.

"I don't give a damn about your excuses! If your boss wants the blades so badly, then go find Sanzouba Genji! With both Genji and Saito out there, my rule can be challenged! So stop wasting my valuable time, and do your fucking jobs!" The two Kumo ninja looked thunderous and looked like they wanted give their client a piece of their minds, but instead opted to say nothing and left his office, making sure that they slammed the door loudly.

With no one to direct his anger at, Akira cursed loudly as he whipped the scrolls off his desk. The objects slammed violently against the wall, and clattered onto the ground. He just couldn't believe how quickly things had taken a turn for the worse. With a huff, the Godaime turned to gaze out the window of his office, which was large enough for him see the entire village, and snarled when he caught a glance of his own reflection on the transparent sheet of glass. Ever since that last fateful encounter with that bitch, Mei, he was forced to hide his face with the damned mask. It always served as a constant reminder of his scorned love for the woman. Even after she was long dead, his anger still burned red whenever he thought about her.

But for now, he had more pressing issues to worry about; three large and dangerous ones to be precise. The first one was Genji. He had tried to get the old ninja on his side, but the plan backfired on him spectacularly when he revealed his plan to give the legendary blades to Kumo. The old veteran had killed his guards and then stole the scroll which held five of the seven legendary weapons, with both the Kubikiribōchō and Samehada already missing for obvious reasons. Since then, Genji went into hiding, only briefly appearing to help the citizens like some pathetic, comic book hero. And to make matters worse, no one was willing to give up his location because of his deeds. Even the threat of death wasn't enough to convince the people to give up their "hero". As a sign of good faith, Akihiro had sent two of his _best_ to get the weapons. So far, he was unimpressed with their progress.

Then, there was Saito. He never did like that old man, as he was one of Mei's favorites. It wasn't his prowess as a ninja that she liked, but the connections that he developed in his years as a shinobi. It was through those connections that Saito managed to gather supplies and men to help their fight against Yagura. As long as he was alive, Saito could easily challenge him for the right to rule Kiri, and he would be damned if he gave up the power that he had gained, especially to the bastard who stole the heart of one he loved. Despite all of the denials from him and Mei, he never believed that they had a strictly platonic relationship. It was why he had sent the son of a bitch to that prison in the first place.

And then there was the final, and most severe, problem of all: the Kiiroi Senkō no Bōrei. He knew of the Yondaime Hokage's legend; even in Kiri, Minato Namikaze was feared by several shinobi. And if there was someone out there that matched Namikaze's skills, then that man was undoubtedly dangerous. Hell, even Akihiro was weary of this mystery man, even though he still wanted him dead for constantly aiding Kumo's own rebel forces. Just the thought of Saito somehow getting a shinobi of that caliber to join forces with him sent chills down Akira's spine.

But it didn't matter to him in the long run, as he would do everything he could to keep his power. The feeling he got whenever his people looked at him in fear was intoxicating, and he refused to give that all up to anyone: not to Saito, not to Genji, not to this recently formed resistance,and definitely not to this '**_Bōrei_**'. He was going to be Mizukage for a very long time.

**_XXXXX_**

**_Authors' Notes_**: Well, here the new chapter of this story. Thanks as always goes out to Tao Naruto for the help with this chapter. Enjoy.


	3. Chapter 2

**_Chapter 2_**

**Beta: Toa Naruto**

Shin continued through the hallways of the Mizukage tower and onto the main street, ignoring the looks that he got from the people he passed by. He had more important things to think about than his reputation amongst the citizens, mainly whether or not he made a mistake in agreeing to come back to Kiri. It wasn't that he liked the idea initially; however, considering the fact that he was wanted man, Akira's proposal was just too good to pass up. But now, after serving under _him_ for a few years, he realized that he should have killed the men that Akira sent after him. The Godaime was far worse than Yagura, and twice as demented. The power-hungry man didn't give a damn about his village, and it showed everywhere Shin looked.

The last Momochi sighed as he put his worries aside. He didn't want to abandon his village again, not after all of the trials he went through to prove his loyalty to Akira. But instead, he vowed that he would do everything in his power to improve Kirigakure, even if he had to do it within Akira's circle. It was a small conciliation (_at least, in his mind_) that he was trying to help Kiri the _legal _way, unlike his older brother. During Yagura's tyranny, his brother and those loyal to him attempted to overthrow the Kage and put a stop to the man's reign. Unfortunately, the coup failed spectacularly, and Zabuza barely managed to escape with his life. Even after Zabuza went into hiding, Shin had hoped that his brother would eventually return and finish what he started, but he was severely disappointed. His older brother never returned, and he vowed to find out why.

After years of training and finally finding a way out of the village, he went searching for his brother. During his time away, Shin became a well-known bounty hunter, albeit under a false name. By using his connections, he was able to find his brother Zabuza, whom he had every intention on sorting out. But just as Shin arrived to where his brother would be, he was just in time to see him, to his horror, kill an innocent man without pause or remorse. Disgusted by the unnecessary brutality he exhibited, Shin confronted his brother, demanding an explanation. Zabuza, however, merely scoffed at his demands, saying that he had no need to explain himself. His anger overriding his rational mind, Shin spat at the man's feet, which caused a huge and violent fight to erupt between the two brothers. They fought long and hard, neither of them showing any mercy in their attacks, but eventually the battle ended in Zabuza's favor. Despite being at the mercy of Zabuza's blade, Shin vehemently cursed his name, and declared that he was no brother of his. Zabuza didn't even so much as flinch at the younger man's declaration and simply walked way without saying a word, leaving Shin alone and battered on the ground, feeling angry and hurt at what his brother had become.

Some years later, Shin heard that his brother was killed and buried in Nami no Kuni during one of his assassination jobs. After getting on the earliest boat to Nami, and asking a few of the locals, he eventually arrived to the graves of Zabuza, and his accomplice, Yuki Haku. His purpose wasn't to pay any respects to the man, however, but to reclaim the Kubikiribōchō sword that his former brother left behind, which was conveniently embedded behind his brother's wooden grave marker. He then promptly left for the harbor, and took the boat destined to Tetsu no Kuni. With the regenerative blade in his possession, his reputation as a bounty hunter skyrocketed, and he was soon going after bounties that not even the more experienced mercenaries would go after. But it wasn't long until Akira finally sent his men to find him. It was out of pure luck that a member of the squad recognized him, and offered to speak to Akira on his behalf in order to form a deal with the Kage. Seeing that Akira was already aware of him, and would not stop sending Kiri nin after him until he was either killed or captured, Shin accepted the proposition. It took some harsh negotiations and several trials to prove himself to the Godaime, but he managed to become a shinobi of Kirigakure once again.

But he was disappointed, yet again, when he saw how far worse his home village had become in his absence, and how the general populace seemed even more miserable than when Yagura was still in control. There were days in which he regretted rejoining Kiri, yet despite his doubts and his misgivings, he had no intentions on defecting again. He planned on sticking his plans for resurrecting Kirigakure into its former glory from within the village. **_He_** would do what he brother failed to do.

"Hey, Shin, wait up!" Shin stopped to look behind him, and had to bite back the curse he wanted to shout aloud when he saw the two Kumo shinobi that he was forced to work with, quickly approaching him. He didn't know them that well, nor did he have the desire to. The male would always get in his face in an attempt to intimidate him, or his words "put him in his place", but it just an annoyance to the Momochi. And sure enough, the Kumo shinobi was in his face once again, with that same arrogant smirk that he always wore. But Shin, like always, revealed nothing with his blank, emotionless expression, which on served to infuriate the Kumo shinobi.

"What's the matter, _Bebī Oni_? Are you mad because Akira scolded you?" he asked with a mocking tone. Shin just scoffed and turned away to continue his trip. He managed to move two steps down the path before the man appeared in front of him, once more invading his personal space. Shin looked at him calmly with a raised brow whilst the man sneered at him. "That was kind of rude of you, _Momochi_. Aren't we comrades for the time being? You should be friendlier to me."

"You're not my comrade, nor are you any friend of mine. And for the record, I see you as nothing but a wannabe shinobi who only got by because you're the grandson of Toroi. You have no skills that I know of that would make your name worth remembering." Shin replied. That comment earned him a glare from the man, and Shin could subtly feel the air around him begin to magnetize.

"You got a mouth on you, Shin. You think that just because you wield the Kubikiribōchō that you're a better shinobi than to me?"

"No, I don't. I don't even _need_ to use the Kubikiribōchō to wipe the floor with you." The man looked ready to explode, until the woman stepped in between the two of them.

"That's enough, Jiryoku! We have more pressing matters to deal with than your ego!" she commanded, calming Jiryoku enough to stop the surge of his chakra. Shin merely grunted and made his way past the two, without so much as taking a glance behind him. Jiryoku glared at the Kiri nin's retreating form until it was out of sight, before he turned his anger towards his comrade. The fact that she didn't look the least bit intimidated by his glare showed that she was quite used to her partner's temper.

"What the hell was that for, Raiu?! Why did you stop me from teaching that punk a lesson?!"

"I stopped you because we don't have time to waste for your usual showboating. We have to get those swords as quickly as possible. That is our mission, the reason why we're staying in this dump, and you'd do well to remember that. The sooner we get those weapons, the sooner we can get back Kumogakure, and deal with that _bitch_, Yayoi." said Raiu, venomously. Jiryoku chuckled at the woman's hatred for Yayoi, as he sighed and nodded in agreement with the kunoichi.

"What are we going to do about Shin? I understand why we can't go after the guy who wields the Samehada, but what about the Kubikiribōchō?"

"First, we find Genji and get the scroll. And once we obtain those five blades, we'll arrange a little _something_ for Shin." answered Raiu, making Jiryoku smile sadistically.

"That's why I like you, Raiu. You act like you're all composed and professional, but in reality you're just as sadistic as me!" exclaimed the Kumo shinobi. Raiu remained silent, as the two renewed their search for Genji and the swords.

**_XXX_**

It had taken Naruto and Saito three days to reach Cha no Kuni. But when they both asked for boss Wasabi Jirōchō at the same time, they were surprised to find out that their traveling companion personally knew the man. Jirōchō, nonetheless, welcomed them both into his home as if he were greeting two long old friends, and even ordered his chefs to prepare a feast in their honor. As they waited, Naruto got the chance to catch up with his old acquaintance, Idate, whilst Saito explained the situation to Jirōchō. The boss of the Wasabi family understood, and told his former employee that he would do whatever he could to help.

After dinner, Jirōchō asked Naruto to speak with him alone. The blond met Jirōchō on the balcony, where he was enjoying an after-dinner smoke. Naruto took to leaning against the railing, enjoying the peaceful silence, until Jirōchō faced him with serious expression.

"You do know what you're getting into, right?" he asked.

"To be honest, no, I don't." answered Naruto. "I've only heard rumors about what is going on in Kirigakure. The Mizukage is doing a thorough job in keeping his internal affairs a secret."

"What Saito plans on attempting are going to be a nearly impossible task, even for someone like you, Naruto. Kirigakure is not a village you would want to visit at the present moment."

"What do you know?" Jirōchō took a puff before he spoke again.

"I don't know much, but what I _do_ know is that the current situation with that hidden village is so severe, that the water daimyo is reluctant to intervene with his forces. Akira rules over Kirigakure no Sato with fear, and staggering amounts of brutality. Even the outer villages and the royal palace that surround Kiri are afraid to invoke his wrath. He has also managed cut the village off from the rest of the world, so I don't who is his benefactor, or how he's supplying himself and the village. But, what I can tell you is that he has had dealings with the Gashira clan, although your friend Yayoi has made things difficult for the Raikage. Also, there are three people that you need to look out for."

"You've got their names?" The old man smirked.

"There are two Kumo shinobi in Kiri at this very moment. I don't know the exact details as to why they are there, but I do know who they are. There is a male named Jiryoku, the grandson of a Kumo shinobi named Toroi. The other is a kunoichi named Raiu, although I don't really know much about her. I suggest that you contact Yayoi for more information on that duo; if there's anyone that knows more about those two, it would be her. The last man is someone I have a lot of respect for, and am quite concerned as to why he joined Akira. His name is Momochi Shin." Naruto pushed himself off the railing, and looked at the man with shock.

"Wait a minute, did you say Momochi? Is this guy somehow related to Zabuza?"

Jirōchō nodded. "Shin is his younger brother. He was a very honorable and skilled bounty hunter, and I had hired him for quite a few jobs. As to why he joined forces with someone like Akira, I do not know. But if I were to hazard a guess, I would assume that Akira agreed to lift the death warrant that was placed on him when he first defected from Kiri."

"Do you think he could be convinced to change sides?"

"I cannot say for sure." A tense silence fell between the two, before Jirōchō spoke again. "This entire situation may be too much for you to handle, Naruto."

"You may have a point there, but that doesn't change the fact that what this Akira is doing is wrong." conceded Naruto. "He's become like another Gatō, and I've seen first-hand at what men like him are capable of when I first visited Nami no Kuni. The difference between that bastard midget and the_ Godaime_ is that instead of a small coastal town, an entire hidden shinobi village and its surrounding area is at risk. That's why I have to help Saito. I'm going to Mizu no Kuni, and I'm going to put a stop Akira's madness, permanently."

Jirōchō chuckled. "Ah, to be young again, and believe that you can do anything." he commented with unbridled amusement. "I can get you and Saito passage to Mizu no Kuni. I know a guy who owes me a favor, and he can provide you with weapons and supplies as well."

"Thank you, boss. I owe you big time for this."

"Don't worry about it. You helped me when you were still working as a Konoha flunkey, it's only fair that I return the favor." said Jirōchō.

**_XXX_**

The next morning, Idate led the two future resistance fighters to the docks, where a large junk-class ship was being loaded with several boxes. Naruto idly noticed that a few of the crew members wore some familiar tattoos, but he decided to ignore it for now, and focused his attention on the guy that was in front of them, sitting in a chair. He observed that Idate seemed to be good friends with the man, who didn't seem the least bit intimidating. The man in question was wearing a dark business suit and expensive shoes, suggesting that he was a very successful merchant. Noticing that he was being stared at, the guy stood up and walked over to where the Naruto and Saito were waiting. Idate went up to them, and immediately began the introductions.

"Gentlemen, this is Suzuki Ryūgen. Ryūgen, I would like you to meet Hamasaki Saito and Uzumaki Naruto." said Idate as he gestured to each person.

"Nice to meet you both." replied Ryūgen pleasantly. "Jirōchō sent word to me earlier about this trip. Just to let you know ahead of time, I don't dock anywhere near Kirigakure."

"That's okay." said Saito. "We aren't going to Kirigakure."

"Alright then, that's good enough for me. What else can I do for you two?"

"The old man said something about you having supplies and weapons." answered Naruto. Ryūgen said nothing, but instead motioned them to follow him. He led them to an average looking building near where the ship was docked at. When they entered after Ryūgen, the traveling duo was surprised by the amount of weaponry they saw. There were katanas, ninjatōs, and countless more weapons, some of which Naruto didn't recognize. Just looking at the large collection of weaponry made him think of Tenten, and how she'd go nuts if she were in his place. But as they looked at the supplies, Naruto noticed several men carrying another crate of weapons out of the building. They looked quite shady, as if they had were constantly on the run from the law, and have committed countless crimes; not the ideal type of people to sell weapons to. All and all, everything about this Ryūgen character made Naruto very suspicious.

Saito, on the other hand, was more focused on the weapons that laid before him. At first, he was somewhat pessimistic about what he had to offer, but he was pleasantly surprised with what he saw. As he was inspecting a few katanas, he noticed a small group of ninjatōs that looked oddly familiar. "How did you get these?!" He asked. "These blades are from Kirigakure! Akira would have never allowed these to be sold outside the village."

Ryūgen's smile seemed to strain at that moment, but managed to immediately hide it. "That I can't say, but I assure you that they were obtained legally through my contacts." That just raised more flags within Naruto's head, especially as he continued to peruse the rest of Ryūgen's collection. Weapons and armor from notorious shinobi villages like Kirigakure and Amegakure, to smaller and more neutral areas like Tetsu no Kuni and Yuki/Haru no Kuni, were scattered across the room. In his past experiences, he had learned to always be suspicious when it came to arms dealers, and to not trust them on the off chance that they betrayed him. If this Ryūgen fellow was indeed an arms dealer, he would have keep a closer eye on him in the future.

**_XXX_**

It was now night time as Ryūgen's vessel continued to sail through the calm waters with ease. The moon was full, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Because of this, the torches that would have normally been lit were out. Naruto sat alone at the stern, content to watching the ship's rippling trail glisten in the moon's light. He could hear the voices of Ryūgen's men behind him, laughing rowdily and talking as loud as possible; apparently they all had a little too much to drink.

"So, this is where you've been hiding." Naruto turned to where he heard the voice, and saw that it was Ryūgen, having forgone the business suit in exchange for a red velvet robe and black baggy pants. On his feet was expensive pair of sandals.

"Yeah, sorry about leaving so abruptly." said Naruto. "I just felt like I needed to be alone right now. Besides, the sea looks beautiful in the light of the full moon."

Ryūgen chuckled. "You've got a point there. When you're the son of a fisherman, you get used to staying out on the sea all day and night."

"Is that what you do as a cover for your weapons, transport fish and produce?" Ryūgen shot him a look, but did not look the least bit offended.

"Well, you've already searched my wares, so you know what I transport. But to answer your question, I do own fishing companies back in my home in Umi no Kuni." The two fell into a comfortable silence, until Ryūgen broke it again. "You know that you can ask me any question that you want. I don't have anything to hide."

Naruto just sighed. The man just had to identify the elephant that was in the room, or in this case on the ship's deck. "Fine. Here's my first question: who in Kirigakure is supplying you?"

"My family or more specifically, the family I married into. I'm actually the son-in-law to the head of the Sairento clan, which is why I have weapons from Kirigakure."

"Then why do you have weapons from Amegakure no Sato, Tetsu no Kuni and Yuki/Haru no Kuni?"

"Oh, that's an easy one. I bought them." At Naruto's surprised look, the arms dealer continued. "I'm not like those other weapons dealers who get their wares illegally. I actually have contracts with people all over the world from whom I buy weapons from, and then sell at several different warehouses. I give a five percent kickback to my suppliers, and then keep the rest for my wife and myself."

"So, _everything_ is legal?"

"Er, somewhat. Like your friend said, Akira wouldn't sell his village's weapons to just anyone. The same thing could be said about Kumogakure. As a result, I hardly deal with anyone from those two villages."

"And your pirate crew?"

"You noticed that, huh? Most of them are deserters or those who were sentenced to death. I gave them a chance to live a new life with a decent pay rate, and they're thankful for that. Plus, they're completely afraid of what my wife would do to them if they even think about betraying my trust." said Ryūgen with a chuckle. Naruto began to see the man in a whole new light. Perhaps he wasn't like the entire stereotypical arms dealer that he had experience with. But there was one last question that continuously pestered his sense of calm.

"There's still one thing I still don't understand. You seem like a pretty decent guy, so why did you get into this line of work? Was it for the money? No offense, but you don't look like the type of guy who enjoys what war brings to the world." Ryūgen looked out into the water, silently collecting his thoughts, and then turned to face Naruto again.

"Ever since I first got into this business, I've tried to cause as little bloodshed as possible. I know how ridiculous that sounds coming from a guy who sells weapons, but that's really how I went into this business. It's my belief that weapons should only be used to protect, not kill. That's the main reason why I'm helping Saito and you. I believe that the two of you can put a stop to all the bloodshed that Akira has brought upon Kirigakure. Weapons should only be used to protect people, not take lives meaninglessly." Ryūgen gave a sad smile, as if he were the butt of some joke. "Pretty stupid reasoning for a guy to sells weapons, right?"

"No, not at all. I totally get what you're saying, and I find it admirable that you follow your beliefs so strongly. Thank you for sharing your story with a complete stranger like me. I'm sorry for having my suspicions about you."

"You're a shinobi, its part of your job to be suspicious of people." retorted Ryūgen, good-naturedly. Naruto smiled, when a yawn broke through his self-restraint.

"Well, I'm going to turn in for the night. See you tomorrow." And without another word, the blond made his way below deck to get some sleep.

**_XXX_**

Naruto didn't know what to make of what he was seeing. All around him was nothing but pitch black darkness, and not a single sound could be heard. But then, in a blink of an eye, everything changed, and he soon found himself surrounded by images of his signature jutsu, the Rasengan. There was its basic original form, the _Ōdama Rasengan_, and the version that was composed of the Kyūbi's chakra, the _Shui Rasengan_. But there were other forms that he hadn't seen before as well: a ring of Rasengans, an Ōdama Rasengan that looked like it was sucking objects into itself, an Ōdama Rasengan surrounded by three original Rasengans, and countless more.

While the unknown versions of his jutsu looked pretty awesome, he couldn't help but wonder why he was seeing these variations, and where they were coming from. Personally, he believed that he had already taken the Rasengan as far as he could. But just by looking at the newer versions that surrounded him, he could already tell that they would take months, even years, to perfect. Despite his growth in the ninja arts, he still found it hard to control his massive chakra reserves. Sure, he could always use the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu training method that Ibarra helped him develop, but it had been a while since he last used it.

Suddenly, the images disappeared in a flash, and were replaced by one single Rasengan. Unlike the others, however, this Rasengan had wisps of wind surrounding it, the wisps themselves looking surprisingly like blades. Suddenly, the wind "blades" expanded until they appeared similar to that of a very large shuriken, with the Rasengan in its center. The jutsu gave off a sharp, bell-like screech that made Naruto cover his ears, until the sound finally died down. The blond gazed upon the central Rasengan, which was now back to its regular size, only it was a lighter shade of blue than the original usually was. But when he reached out to touch it, the entire chakra construct exploded, consuming him in a violent explosion of wind chakra.

**_XXX_**

Naruto shot up from his bunk breathing deeply, a thin veil of sweat covering his brow; that experience just seemed too real to be a dream. Looking around the room, he saw that everyone was still sound asleep. Once his breathing was under control again, Naruto laid back down onto his pillow and stared aimlessly at the ceiling, his mind riddled with confusing thoughts and questions. What the hell was that Rasengan? And how did it have kind of power? Soon enough, Naruto gave up on trying to figure out these new mysteries, and fell back to sleep, but that last Rasengan continued plaguing his dreams. As he slept, two glowing orbs of light appeared next to his bedside, which began to expand and take on the transparent forms of an adult man and woman.

The woman had a slender frame, fair skin, a very feminine figure, violet-blue eyes, and long, silky red hair that cascaded behind her back to the point it nearly touched her calves. She was dressed in a high-collared, sleeveless beige blouse, under a long loose-fitting green dress. The man beside had tanned skin, spiky blond hair, and bright, blue eyes. He was adorned in a standard Konoha uniform that was covered by a short-sleeved, long, white haori with flames motifs at the bottom. Without a word, the woman turned to glare at the man, and began tapping her foot at an agitated pace as she folded her arms underneath her bust. The man, in response, held up his arms placatingly, and gave the woman a sheepish smile.

"I want an explanation, _anata_." demanded the red head.

"Okay, I admit that I might have been a little harsh with him. But if anyone can finally complete the Rasengan, it's Naruto. I just wanted to give him a little help, that's all." replied the blond, beads of sweat running down his brow.

"Well, you didn't have to be so rough with him! He could have had a stroke, or worse, an aneurism!" screeched the red head, before she walloped him on the head.

"I'm sorry, dear. I promise it won't happen again." he said with a smile, all the while rubbing the spot where she struck him. The woman huffed in annoyance and turned away from him with a pout. The man said nothing, instead opting to slowly wrap his arms around her. The woman tried to keep her sour mood, but her irritation quickly subsided as she leaned into his embrace. The two spirits stood in silence as they watched Naruto sleep. Although he never spoke it aloud, the blond haired man knew that Naruto would surpass him.

**_XXXXX_**

**_Authors' Notes_**: Thanks again Toa Naruto for your help as always. From now on, I will have your name at the beginning so that everyone knows that you helped write this with me. Anyway, enjoy the new chapter.

**_Glossary_**

**_Bebī Oni_** – Baby Demon

**_Cha no Kuni_** – Land of Tea

**_Anata_** – Dear

**_Techniques_**

**_Ōdama Rasengan_** – Big Ball Spiraling Sphere - A ninjutsu with pre-eminent destructive power, caused by wildly spinning chakra inside one's palm and compressing it to a high density — the Rasengan. Using the same essentials, but also rapidly increasing the amount of chakra used, results in the Big Ball Rasengan. It was created by Naruto Uzumaki during his training with Jiraiya. At first, Naruto needed a shadow clone to form the Big Ball Rasengan and help him wield it. But as he got more skilled with it, Naruto can now wield the attack with one hand, but still needs a shadow clone to help him create it. Compressed to an even higher density than before, the chakra is released all at once as soon as the technique hits the target, releasing an extraordinary destructive power. Proportional to this power, the amount of chakra it consumes is also extraordinary. With him possessing the Nine-Tails' chakra, it could be said that this technique is for no-one but Naruto.

**_Shui Rasengan_** - Vermilion Spiraling Sphere – It is a regular Rasengan only with the influence of the Kyūbi's chakra. It is much more destructive and is a very different color, being purple or orange instead of blue.


	4. Chapter 3

**_Beta Reader_**: Toa Naruto

**_Chapter 3_**

The next day, everyone woke up in high spirits. After eating breakfast, the crew went right to work, making sure that everything was shipshape. The man in the crow's nest kept a steady watch on the open waters in front of them, whilst Ryūgen talked with his navigator and first mate. Saito was with them, going over the details of their arrival. As everyone was busy doing their assigned duties, the blond, spiky haired shinobi was seated on the roof of the captain's cabin, gazing upon the Rasengan that was in his right hand.

The vision he had the previous night was still very fresh in his mind. The power that he had seen before waking up was incredible. No, incredible didn't even come close to describing it. Looking back down at the chakra sphere in his hand, he began to wonder if the vision he saw in his dreams was what the Yondaime had in mind for his own original jutsu. But was it even possible to accomplish? Even with the training method Ibarra had shown him with the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu, it had taken him two weeks to use his wind affinity properly, and another six months to truly master it. Combining his wind affinity with the Rasengan just seemed too impossible.

But on the other hand, if he somehow _did_ manage to successfully complete this formidable augmentation, then he would have surpassed the Yondaime Hokage, which had always been his dream. Not only that, but the newly created Rasengan would be his own original jutsu. The thought of creating his own ninjutsu brought a smile on his face, it sounded really awesome. Dispelling the Rasengan, Naruto jumped off the roof, and made his way below deck for some light morning training.

**_XXX_**

The junk continued on its way, entering the waters of Mizu no Kuni at noon. After conferring with his navigator, Ryūgen told the two shinobi that they would be at their location by early next morning. As the afternoon rolled on, the man in the crow's nest suddenly noticed something out in the horizon.

"Boss, we've got company! Two ships with the daimyō's symbols on their side are coming our way!" the lookout shouted. Ryūgen took out a telescope to get a better look at the two vessels. He recognized that the symbol of the daimyō was indeed branded on the sides of the ships, which only made him even more suspicious. Collapsing the telescope, he turned back to everyone on his ship.

"Stay cautious, everyone. Something is seriously wrong with this scenario." he told them. Everyone silently nodded, and prepared themselves for a possible battle. Naruto and Saito stared at Ryūgen, both of them feeling like they were missing something rather important.

"What's going on?" Naruto finally asked.

"The Mizu daimyō's ships are never this far out from the capital. Nowadays, he keeps almost all his ships docked at the harbor because of what's going on in Kirigakure. Just be ready in case this turns out to be a trap." replied Ryūgen. The junk came to a complete stop, as did the other two ships, on both sides of Ryūgen's small vessel which effectively boxed them in. As the daimyō's men made their way to board, Naruto couldn't help but feel that something was off. Meanwhile, Ryūgen made his way to greet the captain of the lead ship, whom stepped forward with his head bowed down. It was at that moment when Saito noticed a body on one of the ships. But before he could shout out a warning, the captain raised his head to faced Ryūgen, making the business man curse aloud as he recognized who the man was.

"Shit! It's a trap!" Ryūgen shouted, just moments before the captain discarded his hat and charged at him, his arm poised to stab him with a dagger. But the assailant never reached his target, has he was thrown back by a powerful roundhouse kick, courtesy of Naruto. The two enemy pirate crews threw their hats at once and attacked from the two ships. Saito, unfazed by the sudden turn of events, flashed through a quick chain of hand seals.

"Suiton: Daibakufu no Jutsu!" he shouted, as the water shot up onto the deck in a swirling stream, before it shot forward, catching several enemies and carrying them away as the stream tore apart the second ship. With the jutsu successfully cutting the attacking force in half, Ryūgen's men surged forward, beating them down mercilessly and tossing them overboard.

On the other end of the junk, Naruto summoned three clones and joined Ryūgen's men in cutting down the imposters. During the scuffle, the man that had attacked Ryūgen in the beginning of the attack was sent flying by Naruto once again by a shoulder toss. But as he got back up, the "captain" was met with the sight of his men being defeated and tossed overboard. Whirling back to face the original Naruto and Ryūgen, he snarled in fury like an enraged beast.

"Damn you, Ryūgen! You always keep those blasted ninja with you, just like your bitch of a wife!"

"I should have known you would try to pull something like this, Keisuke. You never could let anything go." replied Ryūgen.

"Is he a friend of yours?" Naruto asked flatly, all the while keeping his eyes on Keisuke, just in case the man tried to pull something.

"Far from it. Meet Kushizashi no Keisuke, a rival arms dealer that once tried to steal my wares and muscle me out of my business. My wife personally showed him how much that was a bad idea once she'd gotten word of his actions; he should count himself lucky that she only took his hand instead of his life." It was then Naruto finally took notice of Keisuke's right arm, or more specifically, what had replaced the man's hand. In place of the normal human hand was rounded-off gauntlet that covered the arm's severed wrist, and had a dagger attached in the middle of it.

"Shut your mouth, you second-rate hustler!" Keisuke roared, as he lunged at Ryūgen in a last-ditch effort to kill his most hated rival. But in his rage, he had forgotten about the blond that was beside his target. Before his dagger was anywhere near Ryūgen's neck, the blade was halted in its path by Naruto's kunai. Keisuke was so surprised at the young ninja's speed that he failed to notice the spiraling chakra orb in his opponent's right hand until it was too late.

"Rasengan!" Keisuke howled in pain as the jutsu collided against his chest, its power strong enough to send him flying through the air, where he crashed into the sea with a mighty splash. The sight of their defeated leader destroyed what was left of the gang's morale, allowing Ryūgen's men to easily triumph over them. Once the threat was completely neutralized, Naruto jumped across the sea to the remaining ship to see if there were any more hostiles lying in wait. But all that he found were the bodies of several men, the horrendous stench they were giving off suggesting that they had been dead for several hours. Finding no one left alive, he leaped back to Ryūgen's vessel, who was speaking with several of his subordinates.

"What's going on?" asked Naruto.

"The junk was damaged in the fight, and we need to dock it to repair it. We just found an island not too far from here. Once we arrive, we'll inspect the damage, and go from there." Ryūgen looked at his first mate, who silently nodded before he began to get the rest the crew back to work. In no time, the ship started sailing through the waters once more.

**_XXX_**

The junk reached the island within the hour, and were lucky enough to find a small dock towards the back of the small landmass. Once on solid ground, Ryūgen surveyed the damage to his vessel. Just as he was finishing his inspections, Saito and Naruto walked up to him to get an update on their situation.

"Well, the damage isn't too severe; mostly patch work will be enough to fix it. But because of all the work that needs to be done, we're going to have to stay the night. We'll still make it to my personal dock in the morning, but it just won't be as early as we originally planned." he explained.

"That won't be much of a problem for us. While your men work, we could scout the island to get a better understanding of our surroundings." said Naruto.

"That's actually not a bad idea. I was particularly interested in that large compound I saw when we were sailing in. I'll let you two sort out who scouts what, and you can use some of my men to help." replied Ryūgen. The two ninja nodded and let Ryūgen leave to deal with his ship.

"So, which do you want: the island or compound?" asked the blonde.

"I'll take the island." answered Saito.

"Then that leaves the compound to me. Let's go and gather our squads." The two quickly left to gather their teams. But unbeknownst to them, and everyone else at the dock, a pair of eyes was watching them. Once both groups set off to explore their designated area, they sunk into the rock face from where they once were.

**_XXX_**

It didn't take long for Naruto and his group to reach the compound Ryūgen had seen. At first glance it was clear that the place was enormous, despite its poor condition, and that it was going to take a lot more men to search the place than the amount he had with him. Fortunately for the blond, he had the prefect jutsu to remedy the situation.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Twenty-five clones appeared, leaving the crew members in awe at what the blond was capable of. "Okay, each one of you will get two clones to go with you. You guys handle the back of the compound while I and the rest of the clones will search the front." Everyone nodded in agreement to Naruto's plan, finding it to be reasonable, and made their way to complete their objectives. Five minutes into the search, Naruto had enough information to get a rough idea about the seemingly abandoned place.

The most obvious characteristic that he noticed was that the compound must have belonged to a clan, and a pretty big one at that. From what everyone found, the building had its own meeting room, training room, armory, library, dining commons, and even an outing area. But whatever clan that had lived there was now long gone, or so it seemed. The second glaring fact that he noticed was that a few areas of the compound were still in good condition, as if someone was still taking care of it. One of the clones even found a pantry in the kitchen that was stocked with fresh fish, meat, and herbs. That alone was enough proof that someone was still living in the large estate. And on top of that, ever since he first stepped onto the property, Naruto couldn't help but feel as if someone was watching his every move. But because he couldn't pinpoint where exactly his tail was hiding, he just decided to keep cool until they made the first move.

Snapping out of his thoughts, he entered a room he assumed was a personal study. The shelves inside were filled with old scrolls and books. His eyes surveyed the interior for any clues as to who once lived in the building, when he noticed an old journal on a desk. From where the blond was standing, the book looked as if it was in the very center of the room. His curiosity getting the better of him, Naruto opened the journal carefully and looked at the words on the first page, which were barely readable.

"_These are the words of Kirigakure Saizo, personal soldier of the daimyō and Shodaime Mizukage of Kirigakure no Sato._" Naruto read softly, surprised at what he was holding in his hands. His musings were interrupted, however, when he felt one of his clones dispel from a killing strike. He was about to go and investigate, when out of nowhere, a blade shot through his chest from behind! Gasping as he began to feel blood dripping from his mouth, he looked behind him to identify his attacker, only to see a brown eyed teenager that looked to be the same age as him. The assailant wrenched the blade out and watched as Naruto dropped to his knees, and toppled over on the ground face first, before he dispelled in a cloud of smoke. The male was so stunned, that he failed to notice the sheet falling towards him until it completely obscured his vision.

Reacting quickly, the assailant cut the sheet to ribbons, only to be drilled in the face by Naruto's fist, sending him flying back and into the adjacent wall. Not waiting for his enemy to reorient himself, the blonde threw half a dozen shuriken in his direction, only for the teen to avoid them by sinking into the wall. Naruto was shocked still at his opponent's strange ability, until he sensed him approaching from below. Not wasting a second, the blond jumped into the air and formed a Ōdama Rasengan, before he slammed it into the ground, rocking the compound's very foundation, as well as destroying large portions of the room.

Naruto didn't have to wait long for the retaliation strike, as the teenage attacker appeared from the debris, his sword in hand and swinging at the blonde's neck. Waiting until the very last second, the former Konoha nin rolled away from the slash, standing back up with two kunai firmly grasped in his hands. Having enough of being on the defensive, he charged the swordsman, opting to get in close and slash at the enemy's mid-section. The young man, however, hopped back just in time, and responded with a thrust at Naruto. In turn, he sidestepped the thrust, blocking the blade with one of his kunai. Capitalizing on the stalemate, he charged the attacker; his kunai kicking up sparks as it slid across the blade. The young man didn't panic at the sudden change of tactics, much to Naruto's surprise, but instead planted his feet and used his strength to send him through one of the walls of the compound. Naruto was quick to get back on his feet, managing to just barely sidestep another stab. With a swift flex of his leg, Naruto slammed his foot down on the blade and pinned it to the ground, giving him the chance knock its owner to the floor with a hard cross to the face. Wanting to end the fight quickly, Naruto threw his left kunai at the attacker's unprotected head.

He was quite surprised, however, to see it knocked out of the air by another kunai that was launched from behind him. Chancing a glance to where the weapon had been thrown, he had to quickly duck the kick launched at him by a young teenage woman. The two engaged in a heavy taijutsu fight, moving further down the hallway, when Naruto noticed at the last moment that she was trying to entangle him with ninja wire. He counted himself lucky that he was able to avoid the dangerous steel cord, as he found out that it was quite sharp going by how easily it cut into his clothing. He managed to land a kick to her stomach, momentarily stunning her, but then had to jump back as a hand holding a sword emerged from the wall on his left, poised to end him in one thrust. Reacting quickly, he rushed through some hand seals and slammed his hand against the wall. A second later, a string of seals rushed toward the sword and wrapped itself around it. With the shout of 'FUIN!', the sword was suddenly yanked out of the hand, as the seals retracted into the scroll Naruto withdrew from his pouch, taking the weapon with it. The woman was so surprised by the quick display of fūinjutsu, that she missed Naruto go through another set of seals.

"Suiton: Mizurappa!" he declared, before he blew out a large torrent of water from his mouth, striking the woman with great force, and slamming her through another wall and out of the very compound itself. The jutsu died down just as she landed roughly on the ground, leaving her a spluttering and dazed mess. But just as she managed to clear her airways of any stray water, she heard a voice from behind her.

"Suirō no Jutsu!" Instantly, the girl was caught, and swiftly immobilized by the technique. Looking behind her, she was met with the sight three identical copies of the blonde haired intruder, one of which was maintaining the prison jutsu. It soon became clear to her that the stranger was adept in corporeal clone techniques. Meanwhile, the first assailant quickly made his appearance and began to do hand seals for what was likely an offensive attack, only for Naruto to cut him off.

"That's enough! You're surrounded!" he shouted, which was the cue for the rest of his clones, and the five crew members, to arrive. The young man's eyes swiveled all around him, futilely trying to find a way to escape. Finally realizing that he was indeed caught, the teenager slowly raised his hands in surrender, and got on his knees as the clones closed in.

**_XXX_**

As Naruto got a more decent look at his two would-be assassins, he noted that he was right in his assumption that the two were his age. But, what he _didn't_ expect was that they would also be twins. The male was a fair skinned and toned man with an angular face, short, messy black hair, and dark brown eyes. He wore a dark brown ninja uniform with the sleeves cut off. The female was also fair skinned and toned, but her facial features were much softer than her brother's. Her black hair was tied up into a high ponytail, and she also had dark brown eyes. Her uniform was of the same style as her brother's, except it was gray and still had its sleeves.

Everyone looked at the bound teens with unease, wondering what to do with the two. Both of them refused to talk to anyone once they were brought to Ryūgen and the rest of the crew, but they seemed content with sending looks towards Saito that were downright hostile. When Naruto explained their abilities, the Kiri nin was astonished.

"That's impossible! But, that would mean that they're survivors of the Dochū clan!" he exclaimed.

"Wait a minute, wait a minute! You don't mean _the_ Dochū clan, do you?" asked Ryūgen. "The very clan with the Gappei kekkei genkai? My extended family always spoke very highly of that clan."

"I wouldn't be surprised. The Dochū and the Sairento clans are said to be descendants of the legendary Kirigakure clan. They were known to be _the_ top assassin clans in all of Kirigakure no Sato." Saito turned back to face the bound teens, excitement shining in his eyes. "This is great! Their skills would be a boon to our cause!"

"What makes you think that we would help _anyone_ from Kirigakure?" the female finally spoke with a snarl.

"Wait, wait, wait, I'm not with Yagura's or Akira's faction! I represent the vision of Terumī Mei!" Saito said, quickly. The man's confession brought out different reactions from the twins, but none of them didn't sit well with the revolutionist. "Is there something wrong with what I said?"

"While I don't care which faction you belong to, I will _not _help anyone that followed Terumī's revolt. That fool got what she deserved." said the female.

"Excuse me?!" Saito asked with a hard edge. This time, it was the male that answered.

"She might have successfully brought peace back to the village, but in the end, she trusted the wrong people. She was betrayed by those she tried to liberate; her vision was doomed from the very start."

"Kirigakure is a lost cause. It's become a land of betrayers and back-stabbers." the female added. Saito's fury skyrocketed as his fist clenched tightly and his face turned a dark red. Hearing the brat before him disrespecting Mei in such a despicable manner was quickly eroding away his self-restraint. He was about to physically beat some manners into her, when Naruto stopped him with a restraining hand on his shoulder.

"Calm down, Saito." said Naruto. "You can't expect everyone to be like you or Mei. There will be others who will not view the world as you do."

"Let go of me! She dared to-"

"Betrayal is not something that can be easily be forgiven. It is something that sticks with you for a very long time; you can't expect people who have been betrayed to be so understanding of your cause. You and the rest of your party see the greatness of your village and aim to do something about it; that's the most important thing you need to remember. As long as your revolution continues to fight for a better Kirigakure, then everyone will soon see that that you're better than Yagura and Akira." Saito remained silent, his frame tensed as if he were still planning to strike the captives, before he visibly calmed down. He gave the blond a small nod, signaling that he was going to be alright. During the entire altercation, the twins' gaze never left the blond, their curiosity towards him increasing with each passing second. He seemed to be their age, and yet he spoke the words of an elder who had experience a lot in his life; almost as if he knew first-hand on what it was like to be betrayed. But before they could ponder upon the matter for much longer, the stranger stood in front of the two, making them direct their focus onto him.

"Look, we got off on the wrong foot, so how about we try this introduction again?" he greeted. "We can start with names, mine is Uzumaki Naruto." The two captive shinobi remained silent for a while, before the male spoke.

"My name is Sansei. This is my sister, Sayuri." Sayuri glared at her brother with narrowed eyes, but backed down at the look Sansei shot her.

"Alright, now that we know each other's names, we can get these negotiations underway. I know that you don't want us around, but from what our captain has said, we have to spend the night here due to fact that our ship requires repairs. So what I'm offering is a truce: we stay away from the compound, and you allow us camp out at the docks peacefully. We won't bother you so along as you don't bother us, and we'll gone by first light. Does that sound good to the both of you?" The two twins looked at each other before turning back to Naruto.

"So long as you return my sword, you've got a deal." said Sansei. Naruto nodded, before he and Saito picked the duo up and led them away from their base camp. When they were far enough, the two freed the twins from their bonds. Naruto then pulled out the storage scroll and opened it. With a slight tap on the kanji for "sword", the weapon appeared in a puff of smoke, to which Naruto handed it back to Sansei. With their business done, Naruto and Saito made their way back to camp, when they were suddenly stopped by Sansei's voice.

"So you're from the Uzumaki clan, huh?" he asked. "I would have doubted that claim if it wasn't for your skill with fūinjutsu. But what I don't understand is why an Uzumaki would help Kirigakure no Sato of all places."

"I don't really have a reason to help your village." answered Naruto. "The people are suffering under Akira's regime, and it needs to stop now. If we don't, then Kirigakure will be destroyed."

"You're probably better off letting the village destroy itself. Nothing good will come from your help." This time, Sayuri was the one who spoke. "Say you defeat Akira, then what? Another dictator will rise and kill you to take your place, and will do unspeakable acts just to make sure that they stay in power. It'll be just like the dark ages all over again."

"I don't believe that will happen. If you show the people hope, then they will come together to make sure that such atrocities never occur again." the blond countered.

"There _is_ no hope for Kiri; you're wasting your time." Sayuri shot back.

"Maybe there isn't, but that's just how I see things." said Naruto, with a smile. "I might be a dreamer, and I might be a fool, but I believe in the possibilities of what hope brings to people. And with the hope I plan on bringing back to that village, I believe that things **_will_** change for the better." The twins were put off by the blonde's confidence, as they watched the two visitors continue their way back. After making sure that they weren't going strike with a surprise attack, the twins melted into the sand and made their way back to the compound.

**_XXX_**

Keisuke struggled to drag himself through the forest with the arm that still had its hand. He was heavily injured from Naruto's last attack, and had nearly drowned on his way to this island because of it. He was in agonizing pain, hungry, cold, and _extremely_ pissed. He swore revenge against Ryūgen and his ninja allies as he continued his arduous trek through the forest, praying to any god who would grant him his vengeance.

Seeing a cave in front of him, Keisuke made his way into it to get some shelter. He went deeper and deeper into the earthen structure, until he came upon an altar that had a weird looking blade stabbed smack dab in the center. It looked large enough to be a Zanbatou, but its handle was similar to that of a kunai. Overall, it was a very menacing looking sword that seemed to gleam in the surrounding darkness. Keisuke was so mesmerized by the weapon that he began to subconsciously drag himself closer to the altar. But the moment he reached out to grab the handle, all hell broke loose as the blade began to pulsate with energy.

Keisuke gasped as he felt his body seize up, as if someone or something was invading his body. He looked up towards the blade he was still clutching, and was shocked to see an image of a man looking back down at him. The man had black hair that had lost its luster and dark green eyes, eyes which seemed to bore into him as if they were searching for something within him. After a short while the spirit gave the wounded man a sinister smirk, before it lunged down upon him, entering Keisuke's body. Now alone, the man started to convulse and twitch uncontrollably, before a loud scream echoed throughout the cave and he was engulfed in a burst of dark energy.

**_XXX_**

Everyone onboard the junk woke with a start. Naruto, being the quickest, rushed above the deck to investigate, where he saw a dark purple beam of light shoot up into the night's sky. Meanwhile, back at the Dochū clan compound, the twins were able to see the very same phenomenon. They could barely keep their footing, as the force of the foreboding dark beacon shook the entire island, sending shockwaves all across the area. Sensing a steadily rising vile and evil presence where the light was shining, the two quickly went for their gear.

Naruto, on the other hand, was running toward the energy surge as he watched it die down. Despite that every fiber in his being was telling him to flee, he was determined to investigate just what the hell caused that eerie light show. He had just made it to the sandy shores, when he was suddenly forced to stop as something landed in front of him, kicking up a large cloud of dust. By the time the sand finally settled, he was shocked to see none other than Keisuke, although he was nothing like the man that he had encountered earlier. He could tell from looking into his eyes, there was nothing of the original Kushizashi no Keisuke in them. The sensory organs now had a dark and sickly green hue to them, an unnatural color for an eye, even by shinobi standards. He also noticed the sword he wielded in his left hand. It looked like a blade that a ninja would use, but that raised the question as to where did the arms dealer procure the weapon. His attention was brought back to the present, however, as Keisuke unleashed an animalistic roar, laced a powerful killer intent, before the possessed man charged at Naruto with evil intentions.

**_XXXXX_**

**_Authors' Notes_**: Here's another chapter for your guys. As you can see I have placed my beta reader at the top of the page, so everyone knows who is helping me with the story. Thanks again Toa Naruto. There is a change for the story that you will probably notice.

In the original _Mizukage_, Sayuri and Sansei had the kekkei genkai that belonged to Sakon and Ukon. I moved away from that since I recently watched _Basilisk. _The skills of the character, _Gyoubu Kasumi_, were really interesting to me so I gave the twins his abilities. I hope you enjoy the change.

I have also changed the weapon that Naruto carries. While I would have liked to keep _Hyorinmaru_, I found the blade of Saizo Kirigakure so much better. I liked the technique he could do since I saw them in the manga and anime, _Brave 10._

Anyway, enjoy the new chapter.

**_Glossary_**

**_Kushizashi no Keisuke_** – Keisuke the Impaler

**_Dochū_** – Underground Projection

**_Jutsu List_**

**_Suiton: Daibakufu no Jutsu_** – Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique - This technique extends water over a large scale, surges and rises up to several dozens of meters high. Then it streams down to the ground in one big cascade, much like a gigantic waterfall. In doing so, it resembles a huge wave, with tremendous power that can hollow out the ground. What remains after that technique's utilization is reminiscent of no less than the aftermath of a natural disaster. This is a considerably advanced ninjutsu, and activating this technique requires a fair amount of chakra.

**_Suiton: Mizurappa_** – Water Release: Wild Water Wave - Water gushes out from the mouth like a waterfall and washes away the enemy. One can freely control the power of this technique with the amount chakra one releases. Having many variations, this is a basic Water Release technique.

**_Suirō no Jutsu_** – Water Prison Technique - This technique is used to trap a victim inside a virtually inescapable sphere of water. The only downside to this technique is that the user must keep at least one arm inside the sphere at all times in order for the victim to remain imprisoned. This technique requires a sufficient amount of water, which can be provided by expelling it from one's mouth. Once trapped the target is unable to move while within it due to the heaviness of the water. Because of the density of the water it can be used, to a limited extent, for defensive purposes if performed on oneself. It can also be stored in scrolls as traps.

**_Gappei_** – Merging – This is the kekkei genkai of the Dochū clan. By merging with the surface of an object, the Dochū clan members are able to move and attack in complete secrecy as well as manipulate any object in physical contact with the surface


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